The increase in bone mineral density by bisphosphonate with active vitamin D analog is associated with the serum calcium level within the reference interval in postmenopausal osteoporosis

Objectives: To examine the factors associated with increase in lumbar spine bone mineral density (LS-BMD) by bisphosphonates (BPs) with active vitamin D analog (aVD).

Methods: Two independent postmenopausal osteoporotic patients treated by BPs with aVD for 24 months (Study 1: n?=?93, Study 2: n?=?99) were retrospectively analyzed.

Results: In Study 1, LS-BMD of the patients significantly increased for 24 m (5.4%, p?r²: 0.088, p?=?.02). While average sCa of the patients was 9.2?mg/dL before treatment, it increased time-dependently to 9.6?mg/dL for 24 m by treatment. As each patient had their LS-BMD five times during the study, there were four instances of %LS-BMD in each patient, resulting in 372 instances of %LS-BMD in Study 1. The smallest Akaike’s information criterion value for the most appropriate cut-off levels of sCa for %LS-BMD by treatment every 6 m was 9.3?mg/dL. The %LS-BMD by treatment for 6 m during 24 m period in patients with sCa ≥9.3?mg/dL (1.5%) was significantly higher than that in patients with sCa <9.3?mg/dL (0.8%, p?=?.038). The results of Study 2 were similar to those of Study 1, confirming the phenomena observed.

Conclusion: sCa was associated with an increased LS-BMD by BPs with aVD.     

Stabilization and formulation of a recombinant Human Cytomegalovirus vector for use as a candidate HIV-1 vaccine

Live attenuated viral vaccine/vector candidates are inherently unstable and infectivity titer losses can readily occur without defining appropriate formulations, storage conditions and clinical handling practices. During initial process development of a candidate vaccine against HIV-1 using a recombinant Human Cytomegalovirus vector (rHCMV-1), large vector titer losses were observed after storage at 4 °C and after undergoing freeze-thaw. Thus, the goal of this work was to develop candidate frozen liquid formulations of rHCMV-1 with improved freeze-thaw and short-term liquid stability for potential use in early clinical trials. To this end, a virus stability screening protocol was developed including use of a rapid, in vitro cell-based immunofluorescence focus assay to quantitate viral titers. A library of ∼50 pharmaceutical excipients (from various known classes of additives) were evaluated for their effect on vector stability after freeze-thaw cycling or incubation at 4 °C for several days. Certain additives including sugars and polymers (e.g., trehalose, sucrose, sorbitol, hydrolyzed gelatin, dextran 40) as well as removal of NaCl (lower ionic strength) protected rHCMV-1 against freeze-thaw mediated losses in viral titers. Optimized solution conditions (e.g., solution pH, buffers and sugar type) slowed the rate of rHCMV-1 titer losses in the liquid state at 4 °C. After evaluating various excipient combinations, three new candidate formulations were designed and rHCMV-1 stability was benchmarked against both the currently-used and a previously reported formulation. The new candidate formulations were significantly more stable in terms of reducing rHCMV-1 titer losses after 5 freeze-thaw cycles or incubation at 4 °C for 30 days. This case study highlights the utility of semi-empirical design of frozen liquid formulations of a live viral vaccine candidate, where protection against infectivity titer losses due to freeze-thaw and short-term liquid storage are sufficient to enable more rapid initiation of early clinical trials.     

评价消风散合黄连解毒汤治疗湿疹效果及价值

目的:探讨评价消风散合黄连解毒汤治疗湿疹效果及价值。方法:选择2017年5—12月治疗湿疹的患者54例作为对象,随机数字表分为对照组(27例)和观察组(27例)。对照组给予常规盐酸西替利嗪片治疗的方法,观察组采用消风散合黄连解毒汤治疗,15 d后对两组治疗方法的患者血清白细胞介素(Interleukin,IL)-4、γ-干扰素(γ-Interferon,IFN-γ)水平和临床治疗效果进行评估,比较两组湿疹患者体内的血清IL-4、IFN-γ含量以及患者治愈、显效、好转、无效以及总有效率的情况。结果:治疗前后两组患者IL-4、IFN-γ差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。经15 d治疗后,观察组血清IL-4、IFN-γ水平相较于对照组有明显改善,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05),观察组患者总有效率高于对照组,临床治疗效果显著优于对照组(P<0.05)。结论:将消风散合黄连解毒汤治疗用于湿疹,相较于盐酸西替利嗪片治疗,患者血清水平更佳,临床疗效更好,值得推广应用。     

Appropriateness of End-of-Life Care in People Dying With Dementia: Applying Quality Indicators on Linked Administrative Databases

ObjectivesDementia is a progressive incurable life-limiting illness. Previous research suggests end-of-life care for people with dementia should have a symptomatic focus with an effort to avoid burdensome interventions that would not improve quality of life. This study aims to assess the appropriateness of end-of-life care in people who died with dementia in Belgium and to establish relative performance standards by measuring validated population-level quality indicators.DesignWe conducted a retrospective observational study.Setting and ParticipantsWe included all persons deceased with dementia in 2015 in Belgium. Data from 8 administratively collected population-level databases was linked.MeasuresWe used a validated set of 28 quality indicators for end-of-life dementia care. We compared quality indicator scores across 14 healthcare regions to establish relative benchmarks.ResultsIn Belgium in 2015, 10,629 people died with dementia. For indicators of appropriate end-of-life care, people who died with dementia had on average 1.83 contacts with their family physician in the last week before death, whereas 68.4% died at home or in their nursing home of residence. For indicators of inappropriate end-of-life care, 32.4% were admitted to the hospital and 36.3% underwent diagnostic testing in the last 30 days before death, whereas 25.1% died in the hospital. In the last 30 days, emergency department admission varied between 19% and 31%, dispensing of gastric protectors between 18% and 42%, and antihypertensives between 40% and 53% between healthcare regions, with at least 25% of health regions below 46%.Conclusions and ImplicationsOur study found indications of appropriate as well as inappropriate end-of-life care in people with dementia, including high rates of family physician contact, as well as high percentages of diagnostic testing, and emergency department and hospital admissions. We also found high risk-adjusted variation for multiple quality indicators, indicating opportunity for quality improvement in end-of-life dementia care.     

2型糖尿病中个性化综合饮食护理的应用效果

目的观察2型糖尿病患者中个性化综合饮食护理的应用效果。方法选择本院2018年1月—2018年12月接收的80例2型糖尿病患者实施此次研究,根据随机数字表法分为观察组(40例)和对照组(40例)。观察组使用个性化综合饮食护理,对照组使用常规护理措施,比较两组患者临床效果。结果观察组依从性为95.00%,对照组为80.00%(P<0.05)。两组护理前餐后2 h后血糖含量、糖化血红蛋白水平及空腹血糖含量比较差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。观察组护理后餐后2 h后血糖含量、糖化血红蛋白水平及空腹血糖含量均低于对照组(P<0.05)。结论将个性化综合饮食护理用于2型糖尿病患者治疗中。     

Postoperative Intravenous Iron Supplementation Does Not Improve Hemoglobin Level and Transfusion Rate Following Staged Bilateral Total Knee Arthroplasty

BackgroundWe determined whether postoperative intravenous (IV) iron supplementation could reduce transfusion rate in patients undergoing staged bilateral total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Furthermore, we examined whether hemoglobin (Hb) levels and iron profile differed between patients with and without postoperative IV iron supplementation.MethodsThis retrospective, comparative cohort study included 126 patients who underwent primary staged bilateral TKA during a single hospitalization. The second TKA was performed at a week’s interval. Group iron (n = 65) received IV iron immediately after each surgery, while patients in group no-iron (n = 61) received no iron after surgery. Transfusion rate, change in Hb levels, and iron profile including serum iron, ferritin, total iron binding capacity, and transferrin saturation were evaluated preoperatively; on postoperative days 1, 2, and 4 after the first TKA; and postoperative days 1, 2, 4, and 7, 6 weeks, and 3 months after the second TKA.ResultsThere were no significant differences in Hb levels and transfusion rate following staged bilateral TKA between patients with and without postoperative IV iron supplementation although serum iron profiles were improved in patients with IV iron supplementation.ConclusionPostoperative IV iron supplementation immediately after acute blood loss caused by TKA was not effective in improving the transfusion rate. Therefore, surgeons should use protocols other than postoperative IV iron supplementation for reducing the transfusion rate in patients undergoing staged bilateral TKA in a single hospitalization.Level of EvidenceIII.     

补气养阴降糖饮联合二甲双胍治疗老年2型糖尿病的疗效观察

目的:观察补气养阴降糖饮加减联合二甲双胍治疗老年2型糖尿病(气阴两虚证)的效果。方法:选取2018年4月至2019年10月北京市和平里医院收治的老年2型糖尿病(气阴两虚证)患者84例作为研究对象,随机分为对照组和观察组,每组42例。2组均予以基础治疗,对照组予以二甲双胍口服,观察组予以补气养阴降糖饮加减联合二甲双胍治疗。比较2组治疗前后主症、次症及总评分、糖代谢水平、临床疗效、胰岛素抵抗指数水平及不良反应。结果:治疗后2组主症、次症及总评分,糖代谢水平、胰岛素抵抗指数水平均下降,且观察组较对照组降低的更为明显,差异均有统计学意义(P0.05);治疗后观察组总有效率高于对照组,差异有统计学意义(P0.05);观察组不良反应发生率与对照组比较,差异无统计学意义(P0.05),且不良反应均轻微。结论:对老年2型糖尿病气阴两虚证予以补气养阴降糖饮加减联合二甲双胍可有效控制症状,改善糖代谢,增强临床疗效,减轻胰岛素抵抗,且安全。